Chapter 160: Undercurrent
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Gu Cen was dumbfounded: "Sister Ruanruan, can you answer like this?"
Li Siran stood next to Gu Cen, thinking: how can’t she, you think everyone is like you, thinking so simple?
Zhang Zhiyin had known Ruan Yesheng for a long time, always knowing she was smart, so she came over and hugged Ruan Yesheng: "Then let's hurry to find Miss Yi Miaomiao."
Ruan Yesheng smiled and nodded.
Back in front of Yi Miaomiao again, when Yi Miaomiao learned their plan, she smiled: "You found it so quickly?"
"We have a strategist with us." Shen Qingbie proudly pushed Ruan Yesheng forward.
Yi Miaomiao gave them blessings, a small bamboo tube with Yi ethnic rice wine, one of the ritual offerings. There was also another blue clue card pointing to the next ritual offering.
Xi Mo had not gone out since breakfast, instead staying in A’cuo Rize’s courtyard. Her face looked calm, but inside she felt a little anxious, but she had to wait patiently. They had to collect four ritual offerings in total, according to the program crew, when Ruan Yesheng finds the clue and comes over, it would definitely be afternoon.
It was the first time she felt time became so long, boring, yet somehow brought a little expectation. She didn’t know how to get through it, so she could only use her phone to pass the time.
Even the reports and news on her phone became so boring, she looked for a while and then stopped.
Ranla Changxiu sat on a bamboo chair next to Xi Mo, knitting, and Xi Mo put away her phone, moving her own bamboo chair closer to watch Ranla Changxiu threading the needle.
Maybe the waiting time was too hard to pass, Xi Mo even started learning to knit from Ranla Changxiu. She could understand what Ranla Changxiu said, but when she really took the yarn and knitting needles, doing the cast-on, the stitches, she realized knitting was not something she could do.
How could knitting in this world be so difficult?
Xi Mo felt a little irritated.
"It’s okay, take your time," Ranla Changxiu comforted her: "You just started, not being skilled is normal."
Xi Mo had to endure and keep going.
After messing with the knitting needles for a while, Baolai, who was lying by them, suddenly jumped up and barked wildly toward outside the courtyard.
"Baolai?" Ranla Changxiu stopped knitting.
Xi Mo also felt it was strange. Baolai rarely barked, unless it felt something wrong, or saw a stranger it could not believe approaching.
The courtyard gate was half open. Xi Mo got up and followed Baolai outside. There was no one outside, only a few people walking far away. A'cuo Rize’s house was relatively quiet, but you could still hear the lively atmosphere of the ritual on the main street.
Who was Baolai barking at?
Ever since the incident with the nails on the road before entering the town, Xi Mo had stayed alert in the town. She carefully walked around outside the gate, but did not find anything unusual.
Baolai calmed down, as if that person had gone away.
Xi Mo stood outside the courtyard for a while, feeling a strange chill. Just as she was about to go back, she saw a tall woman walking along the road at the gate. The woman’s goal was clear, she walked straight to where Xi Mo was.
After a short distance, she confidently greeted Xi Mo with a smile: "Xi Mo, I found you."
Xi Mo was stunned and quickly walked over: "Lin Tingyu?"
Lin Tingyu, who was far away in Shanghai, had actually come here.
To Baolai, Lin Tingyu was a stranger it had never met. At first it barked two or three times when it saw Lin Tingyu from far away, but when it saw Xi Mo go talk to Lin Tingyu, it realized Lin Tingyu was Xi Mo’s acquaintance and became quiet.
Xi Mo did not ask Lin Tingyu how she came, but said: "Did you just arrive near this house, or have you been here a while?"
"I just arrived," Lin Tingyu said, confused.
Xi Mo fell silent.
Baolai had barked many times before at someone outside, barking fiercely. This meant the target of Baolai’s barking had been here for a while, but Lin Tingyu had just arrived. Also, when Baolai first saw Lin Tingyu approach, it thought she was a stranger and barked once or twice, but then stopped when it realized it knew her.
This showed that the person Baolai barked at before was not Lin Tingyu.
Then… who was it?
Xi Mo frowned and thought.
"Xi Mo, what’s wrong?" Lin Tingyu said, "You don't look too good."
"...Nothing." Xi Mo finally came back to her senses and said, "How come you suddenly came here?"
Lin Tingyu’s face was a little serious: "I came with Jiajia. Her brother told me to follow her, and not let her get into trouble, but Jiajia doesn’t know I came. I know you came to the variety show visit with Ruan Yesheng, so I wanted to come greet you first."
She looked around: "Is it okay here? Any media spying? The internet already reported that you are in Heizhugou Town, and many media followed the news. They already know your place, other media will know too."
"I haven’t noticed for now." Xi Mo frowned: "But the dog barked before, I don’t know if it’s the media."
"Then you should be careful." Lin Tingyu said: "This place is quite remote, but anyone can come to Heizhugou Town. When you stay in the house, it’s best to close the courtyard gate. But don’t be too nervous, the media won’t be too bold, they mostly hide to take photos. Just pay attention to your words and actions, they can’t get much."
Lin Tingyu was the head of Nantin Entertainment, very familiar with these routines.
"I understood." Xi Mo felt uneasy: "But why did Cui Jiayu come too?"
She knew clearly that Cui Jiayu suspected Yang Zhen and Ding Qihong were working together, related to the murder case, and even involved Dr. Zhao Yinchun’s death. She was very persistent, and to investigate the truth, she now put all her energy into tracking the prop master Yang Zhen.
After finding out Yang Zhen rented a long-term apartment in Shanghai, she even had her brother help her transfer to Shanghai for this. It shows how persistent she is about this matter.
If Cui Jiayu came here, could it be Yang Zhen… came here too?
Xi Mo shivered.
If it was really like this, why would Yang Zhen come?
Lin Tingyu had been in the hospital room with them and Cui Jiayu, and had heard some things about Yang Zhen. Sometimes Cui Jiayu would also mention it in the "Shanghai sisters who love each other" chat. For them, Yang Zhen’s matter was no longer a secret.
She said: "Jiajia has been investigating Yang Zhen. This time she didn’t say why she suddenly came to Heizhugou, but I think it’s because Yang Zhen came here. Recently she has been watching Yang Zhen’s moves closely. She hasn’t officially started work yet, this is purely a private investigation, no police support. Cui Jiashu is very worried about her, so he told me to come watch over her."
"You also think Yang Zhen came?" Xi Mo said softly.
Lin Tingyu’s mind was always clear: "It’s obvious. Jiajia is actually very simple. If she runs over here, it must be something she cares about. Recently, she cares about the case related to Yang Zhen, almost forgetting to sleep and eat."
"Do you often chat with Cui Jiashu?" Xi Mo asked. "Does Cui Jiashu know everything about his sister Cui Jiayu’s matters?"
"Cui Jiashu cares a lot about Jiajia. Whatever she does, whatever she investigates, he knows, but he doesn’t say it." Lin Tingyu nodded: "I often chat with him, he tells me everything."
"So you got a lot of clues about Yang Zhen from Cui Jiashu too?"
"Whatever Jiajia knows now, I basically know now too. Cui Jiashu just told me to follow over here," Lin Tingyu said.
Lin Tingyu was well-informed, smart, and even more skilled than the police officer Cui Jiayu. With her here, Xi Mo inexplicably felt a little relieved.
"Then what do you think is the reason Yang Zhen came here?" Xi Mo’s face looked a little dark.
If Lin Tingyu knew many things about Yang Zhen from Cui Jiashu, she really wanted to hear Lin Tingyu’s opinion.
"I’m not sure for now," Lin Tingyu said. "But Yang Zhen is the prop master of your Sui Ting crew. If we look beyond Jiajia’s connected cases, whether it’s the Sui Ting crew, or Yang Zhen going to Shanghai at that subtle time, or coming to Heizhugou, there is one common point: you and Ruanruan are there."
"That is too much of a coincidence, it must be noticed." Lin Tingyu looked at Xi Mo: "Did you have some problem with Yang Zhen when you were in the crew, did you offend him?"
"No." Xi Mo felt even colder inside. "We never had any contact with him, I don’t even know him."
"Then it’s strange." Lin Tingyu thought: "This Yang Zhen matter, I always feel something is wrong. Cui Jiashu thinks the same. No one follows Jiajia, he is worried."
"You care about Cui Jiayu quite a lot." The Yang Zhen matter had always been a thorn in Xi Mo’s heart. Before, she could only talk about it with Ruan Yesheng and Yan Tinghuan. In front of others, it was not convenient. Now in front of Lin Tingyu, she could talk about it, and she felt a little relaxed.
"Do I?" Lin Tingyu smiled: "I’m not really for her, I have my own private reason. Now in Heizhugou, many of these variety show guests are quite topic-worthy. And with you here, I can get some good scoops back."
"That doesn’t need you to come personally." Xi Mo sensed the worry under Lin Tingyu’s smile: "You have so many capable subordinates."
She always felt Lin Tingyu was not only worried about Cui Jiayu, but also worried about her and Ruan Yesheng. Lin Tingyu was very smart, thinking Yang Zhen might be a threat to them. She came to the house to greet her, actually also to see how she was.
"Be careful." Lin Tingyu’s eyes were deep, she said: "I live nearby, if anything happens, you can contact me."
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Thank you," Xi Mo said gratefully. "Where does Cui Jiayu live?"
"Also nearby." Lin Tingyu told Xi Mo the location of her and Cui Jiayu’s houses.
Xi Mo let Lin Tingyu come in and sit. Lin Tingyu went in and greeted A'cuo Rize and Ranla Changxiu. She stayed for a while and then left.
After Lin Tingyu left, Xi Mo thought about Yang Zhen’s strange behavior, feeling heavy inside. She kept making mistakes while knitting.
Over at Ruan Yesheng’s side, the variety show was still going smoothly. They walked around the town streets, following various clues and interacting with town NPCs. The first ritual offering was mainly found by Ruan Yesheng. But in the next stage of searching, Ruan Yesheng kept a lower profile. She knew that if one guest was too active in the show, they would steal the spotlight, which was not good.
Other guests also needed chances to perform, especially since each guest had a large fan group. They naturally wanted to see their idol shine. So after that, Ruan Yesheng did not show much, instead focusing on cooperating and helping secretly, letting other team members get the opportunity.
The second ritual offering was mainly found by Li Siran’s analysis.
During the search for the third ritual offering, everyone contributed, and they had the most beautiful teamwork. But the third one was especially tricky. By noon, they still had not found the final ritual offering. The program team paused recording to have lunch, and would continue in the afternoon.
After lunch, Xi Mo calculated the time and since it was not yet time, she went to her room to rest for a while.
When she woke up and went downstairs, she saw Ranla Changxiu was about to clear the table. On the table were two plates of dishes, a set of empty bowls and chopsticks, showing that someone had already eaten. The bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged, and the surroundings were extremely tidy, not a single grain of rice had fallen, showing how clean and careful the person who ate was.
It was already two in the afternoon, long past lunch, but Ranla Changxiu had made a meal, and for just one person.
"Auntie Ranla, has your friend already come?" Xi Mo thought of something and asked.
"Yes, she came while Miss Xi Mo was taking her nap," Ranla Changxiu said.
Author's Note:
Xi Mo missed her wife so much she wanted to knit, shocked [.
A’Luo is here!!!!!!!!!!
A’Luo, where are you?
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